This invention relates to franking machines.
Known franking machines comprise a printing device for printing a franking impression on a mail item such as an envelope or label and an electronic unit for carrying out accounting and control unit functions. The electronic unit includes registers for storing a value of credit available for use in franking, a total value of franking used by the machine and a count of the number of mail items franked by the machine. The machine is also provided with a keyboard whereby a user may enter data into the franking machine and a display device to enable the franking machine to communicate data and operational information to the user. When it is desired to use the machine for franking a mail item, a user enters by means of a keyboard the value of franking desired and the electronic unit checks to ensure that there is sufficient credit available for the desired franking. If the available credit is sufficient the unit decrements the value of credit remaining in a descending register, increments an ascending register to indicate the new total of franking values used and increments the count of mail items franked and outputs a print control signal to permit printing to take place. The unit sets the printer to print the required value of franking and provided the print control signal has been output the printer is operated to print the required franking.
With currently available franking machines, the operations of addressing envelopes and inserting material into the envelopes are separated from the franking of the mail items. For example, addressing and filling envelopes is usually carried out by secretaries and typists whereas the franking operation is carried out in a mail room. Thus the envelopes are placed into typewriters or the like for the printing of a destination address and then after filling are carried to the mail room where the sealed envelopes are fed through a franking machine. As a result each mail item has to be handled a number of times.